The present invention relates generally to agricultural machinery and, more particularly, to a braking system for both the feed conveyor and crop receiving assembly in an agricultural harvesting machine.
Agricultural harvesting machines are commonly equipped with a feed conveyor and crop receiving assembly attached to a front region of the machine. The feed conveyor is normally provided with a drive shaft. The drives of both the feed conveyor and the crop receiving assembly may be derived from a pulley releasably connected with the engine of the harvesting machine by a clutch.
During operation of such a harvesting machine, the driver must keep a constant vigil for foreign objects that appear in the path of the machine and could enter the feed mechanism of the harvester. As soon as a foreign object appears, the driver releases the clutch for the drive of the whole combine harvester front attachment by means of a manually operated lever. This procedure is intended to prevent any foreign objects from being drawn into the machine and causing damage. However, this measure has proven extremely unsatisfactory because the feed conveyor and crop receiving assembly are braked only by the inherent friction of the system after disconnection of the drive train for the whole combine harvester front attachment. Foreign objects are often conveyed into the machine due to the continued running of the feed components.
The feed conveyor drive shaft is fitted with a pulley which also drives the crop receiving assembly. The pulley is connected by a slip clutch with the feed conveyor drive shaft. One end of the drive shaft for the feed conveyor is mounted rotatably in a bushing rigidly connected with the housing of the feed conveyor. The bushing carries a brake caliper. A brake disk that cooperates with the brake caliper is rigidly connected with the feed conveyor drive shaft. The brake itself may be a disk brake or other commercially available brake.
The use of a slip clutch to connect the drive of the crop receiving means with the feed conveyor drive shaft precludes both the feed conveyor and the crop receiving assembly from being braked suddenly by operation of the brake. In this way, on operation of the brake the relatively low mass of the feed conveyor is then braked suddenly and the crop receiving assembly is gradually stopped by the slip clutch. The slip clutch may be adjusted to increase or decrease the time required to stop the crop receiving assembly.
It is an object of the present invention to a provide a braking system for the feed components of a harvesting machine that minimizes further intake of crops after disconnection of the drive train for the feed components.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a braking system which is triggered at roughly the same time as the pulley clutch for the drive train is operated.
These and other objects, aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the referenced drawings.